Over Exxposure

For a couple of years now, I have been playing with over exposing my photos to add emphasis/attention to certain things in the photo that may not be so visibly apparent, were the photos set to the correct exposure. When I look at those new found elements, I start wondering about them, and sometimes cook up stories in my head to reinforce their presence. In my opinion, the extra white in the photos make them appealing in a different way – to me they emphasize on minimalism to a large extent. The clutter created by objects, people, buildings, traffic, things around us can be easily ignored if we train our eyes and brain to find the extraordinary. There are elements that are somewhat hard to find, but once found, stand out without a doubt.

I hope these photos make sense to you. Start by clicking on any photo below – they look better when they are bigger in size! Loop through the photos and see what you think. Every photo has a caption and description too.

This gallery would be updated regularly.

Walker Library, Minneapolis, MN

Over exposing this photo does take away the sheer beauty and robustness of the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge in Minneapolis, MN, however, what it also does is focus on the biker right away. The biker looks very relaxed, but what the photo doesn't reveal is that he just finished riding up a pretty steep end of the bridge. He is on his way down now. There is another biker a bit behind him but the over exposure effectively hides her. Martin Olav Sabo Bridge is the first cable stayed suspension bridge in the state of Minnesota. It is meant for bikers to go over Highway 55 without any interruption.

Biker On Martin Olav Sabo Bridge

106 headless and armless people in (supposed) movement. They are going in all directions in the park. Here, to me, it seems like they are waiting for people to get out of the huge sky scraper. Why though? What will they do to them? The overexposure here puts emphasis on just the one sky scraper and the sculpture, and somehow makes the "they have interest in the dwellers of the building. They are waiting to do something" story.

Agora, Chicago, IL

Cherry Blossom in Portland, OR, in the month of March (year 2016). The exposure gives them an eerie yet calming effect. The bunches are more prominent, as is the intricate system of the branches. Color, and the right exposure, I believe, would not have let us understand the beauty of the bunches and branches. The Cherry Blossom here look like something you may expect to see under a microscope.

Cherry Blossoms in Portland, OR

What is this woman handing to the man? It is safe to assume that it's a pamphlet, but, the over exposure works its magic here, and makes us rethink that assumption. I especially like the black & white on people here. If only we were all black & white in real life. Who knew skin pigmentation would create such havoc?

May Day Parade, Minneapolis, MN 2014

A large ballon that has " US Military: Largest Consumer of Oil, Largest Emitter of CO2" on it. It is held by various people.

May Day Parade, Minneapolis, MN, 2016

You can see that this photo 's main focus was the Cindrella Castle. However, over exposing it takes away the (figurative) hideousness of this building. Don't get me wrong - I really don't think it is ugly - it's just that I see it as a symbol of exaggerated & forced tourism and consumerism. What's interesting here though is that because of a combination of rule of thirds and over exposure, our eyes land on the Walt Disney statue, making him the focus of this photo. This is quite the irony because in real life, Walt Disney was quite shy and insecure.

Disney World, Orlando, FL